The quest to repeat starts here.
Or is it going to be another Roctober?
What do the Angels need to win?
When the Rockies traded Matt Holliday in the off-season most people correctly thought a retooling project was underway.
Then Colorado started the season stumbling over themselves and it looked more like a rebuilding process.
In case you didn't notice, the Rockies caught fire under Jim Tracy. One thing they've done very well since the All-Star break is run. By the end of May, the Rockies had stolen 32 bases as a team. Since then, they've stolen 20 bases a month in June, July and September/October.
Rookie Dexter Fowler has solidified the top of the lineup and the Rockies will be hard to beat if he can continue to do so.
Key player
Garrett Atkins had been here before. However, he batted just .175 in the 2007 playoffs. The Rockies are going to have to rely on him for his right-handed bat against Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.
If they get any production out of Atkins, the Rockies can pull of the upset.
What do the Phillies need to win?
How strange is it that confidence is the key for the World Champs? Consider how important it is in two key roles. First, of course, is the much-maligned bullpen. If the Phillies can get a lead they still need to hold it. If they start out with a strong performance it could steamroll. At the top of the order, Jimmy Rollins needs to have confidence in a good playoff approach - a balance of aggression and selectivity - to set the table.
Key player
Cliff Lee is the Game 1 starter and is the most important player in the playoffs for the Phillies. He started his Phillies career with ono fire, but flamed out in September. If he can give the Phillies a win in Game 1 they probably won't look back.
Three reasons to watch this series
- Ryan Howard's power is one of the most awe-inspiring talents in the game. If he puts on a good display it could be good for baseball and help up ratings.
- This is a match-up of the league's last two winners, so the nation should know a fair amount of the cast involved. Now these players have a shot to really make a name for themselves.
- Brad Lidge's story is an amazing one. First he's perfect. Then he's unreliable. Now, if that changes at all, it's going to be a plotline that will be picked up quickly.
Season series
Philadelphia won, 4-2. However, the Rockies dispatched the Phillies in a quick sweep in the 2007 NLDS.
Magic Number
Zero is not only the loneliest number, it's also the amount of post-season starts Cliff Lee has in his career. One has to wonder how he'll respond.
Prognosticator
The Rockies are the National League's hottest team and made it to the World Series just two years ago. The Phillies are the World Champs, however.
But what really makes the difference here is how the left-handed arms should neutralize the Rockies left-handed bats.
Phils in Phour.
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